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Some people may have trouble meeting the recommended fiber intake of 21 to 38 grams per day. Adding wheat fiber to your food or taking a fiber supplement can help with this, but not all fiber supplements are the same. Whether psyllium or wheat dextrin fiber supplements are best for you will depend on your reason for taking fiber supplements and the health benefits you are trying to achieve.

Fiber Type and Digestive System Effects

Wheat bran, wheat dextrin and psyllium may be helpful for improving digestive health. Wheat bran consists of mainly insoluble fiber, which is helpful for making your stool more bulky so it passes through your digestive tract quickly. It can help treat digestive issues, such as diverticulosis, constipation and hemorrhoids. Psyllium, on the other hand, consists of mainly soluble fiber, which soaks up water and forms a gel. This gel slows down the emptying of the stomach and the digestive process. It can also help make stools firmer during diarrhea. Psyllium swells when it soaks up water, so it may help with constipation and is often used as a laxative. Wheat dextrin is a soluble fiber supplement, and as such may help increase the absorption of micronutrients and regulate your digestive system.

Heart Disease Risk

If you're increasing your fiber intake to lower your cholesterol, psyllium and wheat dextrin are better supplement choices than wheat bran. Psyllium and other soluble fibers may help lower your blood pressure, triglyceride and cholesterol levels as well as your heart disease risk, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Psyllium decreases total and low-density lipoprotein, or bad cholesterol, more than high-density lipoprotein, or good cholesterol, which improves your cholesterol ratio, notes an article published in "Pharmacognosy Reviews" in 2012. The main type of wheat fiber, arabinoxylan, doesn't appear to affect your cholesterol or triglyceride levels, according to a review article published in "Nutrients" in May 2013.

Other Health Benefits

Wheat bran may help lower your risk for colorectal cancer, according to the 2012 "Pharmacognosy Reviews" article. Psyllium and wheat dextrin may help you better control your blood sugar, at least in part due to slowing the emptying of the stomach and the release of sugars into your bloodstream after you eat. Although not all insoluble fibers are helpful for controlling your blood sugar, the arabinoxylan in wheat has a comparable effect on blood sugar levels to psyllium, notes the May 2013 "Nutrients" article.

Potential Considerations

Drink plenty of water when increasing your fiber intake. This is especially important with psyllium, which can cause choking if you don't drink it mixed with plenty of water. Increase the fiber in your diet slowly to allow your body to get used to the added fiber. This will minimize any digestive side effects, such as gas, bloating and diarrhea. Fiber may also interact with supplements, including medications for diabetes, depression, high cholesterol and seizures, causing these medications to be more or less effective and increasing the risk of side effects, so talk to your doctor before taking fiber supplements to make sure these are safe for you.